Tractor-mounted beet harvester



Dec. 26, 1950 1.. w. SCHMIDT 2,535,960

TRACTOR-MOUNTED BEET HARVESTER Filed Sept. 8, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEYS L. W. SCHMIDT TRACTOR-MOUNTED BEET HARVESTER Dec. 26, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 8. 1947 INVENTOR L. CU. .Scbmiaz? ATTORNEYS mvsmon .LZZZScbmidi ATTORNEYS 5 Sheets-Shet 5 Dec. 26, 1950 L. w. SCHMIDT TRACTOR-MOUNTED BEET HARVESTER Flled Sept. 8, 1947 Dec. 26, 1950 L. w. SCHMIDT 2,535,960

TRACTOR-MOUNTED BEET HARVESTER Filed Sept. 8, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 lNVENTOlR L. ZZZ Schmidt BY mzm ATTORNEYS Dec. 26, 1950 L. w. SCHMIDT TRACTOR-MOUNTED BEET HARVESTER Filed Sept. 8, 194? 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR .5. 5225612172 idt ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 26, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

TRACTOR-MOUNTED BEET HARVESTER Bose, deceased Application September 8, 1947, Serial No. 772,798

13 Claims. (Cl. 55- -106) This invention relates to sugar beet harvesters. One object of this invention is to provide abeet harvester adapted to be mountedon, and operatively carried by, a wheel-type farm tractor; the implement being disposed laterally of one side of the tractor and mainly ahead of the rear axle ofsaid tractor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a beet harvester, as above, which is arranged so that it may be mounted on a conventional wheeltype farm tractor without any substantial modification cr reconstruction thereof.

An additional object of the invention i to provide a beet harvester, for tractor mounting, which includes a novel frame assembly connected to the rear axle structure of the tractor; such frame assembly extending lengthwise ahead of the axle structure and including a vertically adjustable main frame and a floating secondary frame associated with the main frame and carrying a spiked, beet pick-up Wheel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a frame assembly, as in the preceding paragraph, wherein the secondary frame normally floats, against an adjustable counterbalancing spring, to permit the spiked, beet pick-up wheel to easily follow ground contour; raising of the mainframe causing like motion of the secondary frame but only after take-up of a lost-motion connection between said frames which normally allows of such floating of said secondary frame.

It is also an object to provide a tractor-mounted beet harvester which comprises, in frame-supported relation, a spiked, beet pick-up wheel, a

power actuated topping unit, a top stripping unit, and a conveyor system, in novel assembly.

A still further object is the provision of a novel topping unit and receiving conveyor assembly. A further object of the invention is to provide a practical and convenient beet harvester which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the tractor-mounted beet harvester in lowered, working position.

Fig. 2 is a similar View, but with the near rear wheel of the tractor removed and a portion of the longitudinal conveyor broken away.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan View of the beet harvester as mounted on a tractor, taken on aline 33 of Fig. 2 and with certain parts omitted.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the beet harvester in raised, transport position, taken on a line t-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation showing particularly the lost-mctionconnection between the main frame and secondary frame, and the counterbalancing spring arrangement for the latter, said figure being taken on a line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the topping unit and conveyor assembly.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings; the beet harvester is here shown as mounted in connection with a wheel-type farm tractor, indicated generally at l, which tractor includes a main frame 2, a hood 3 enclosing the engine, transversely spaced front wheels 4, and relatively widely transversely spaced rear wheels 5. The rear wheels 5 are carried on opposite ends of an axle 6 supported on opposite sidesof the tractor gear box 1 in laterally outwardly extending rear axle housings 8 on said gear box.

Rigid brackets 9 project rearwardly from clamps Ill secured to the rear axle housings 8, and said brackets turnably support a cross shaft H which is elongated laterally in one direction; 1. e. on one side of the tractor.

An elongated main frame l2 extends along such side of the tractor mainly ahead of, and in a plane below, the tractor axle 6. The main frame l2 comprises transversely spaced, longitudinally extending side beams [3 connected together adjacent the front end by a cross beam 14, and connected at the rear end by a cross beam 15. The rear end of the main frame l2 extends slightly to the rear of the axle 6, and is there provided with a pair of transversely spaced rigid suspension arms it which extend upwardly at a slight rearward incline; said arms being afiixed, at their upper ends, to the cross shaft H. In this manner the main frame 12 is supported at its rear end from the tractor, yet is vertically swingably adjustable.

At its front end the main frame I2 is supported by an adjustable suspension link i! pivotally connected between said main frame and one end of a swing lever It mounted in connection with a standard 9 on the tractor frame 2. An upstanding fluid actuated power cylinder 28 connects with the swing lever l8 intermediate its ends in operative relation to the latter whereby to adjust said main frame 12 between its lowered, working position, as in Figs. 1 and 2, to its raised, transport position, as in Fig. 4. The power cylinder 20 is interposed in a fluid pressure control system (not position of the name i. from the side beams 53 of the main frame, and

. etc.

3 shown) which includes a valve accessible to the tractor operator.

An elongated secondary frame, indicated generally at 2i, extends lengthwise above the main frame l2, terminating at its forward end short of the corresponding end of said main frame, as shown. The secondary frame 2| includes side beams 22 connected together, at their forward ends, by a cross beam 23. t its rear end the secondary frame includes across beam 25; to which the side beams 22 arenxedly secured; the cross beam 25 being of a length such that it extends substantially the full length of the axle B. Adjacent its ends the cross beam 24 is fitted, on opposite sides of the gear box 1 and rear axle housings 8, with upstanding suspension plates 25 carrying bearings 25 mounted on the axle 5. With this arrangement the elongated secondary frame H is normally capable of vertical floating motion independently of the vertically adjusted Posts 2l upstand there is a pin and slot lost-motion connection 28 between each post 27 and the corresponding side beain 22 6f the secondary frame 2|. Thus, althou h the secondary frame is normally capable of floating niotion, it is responsive to, and raises with, the main frame l2, after take-up of such lost'r'riotion connections, so that both frames can beshifted upwardly by the power cylinder 25 to a raised, transport position. v

A Spiked, been pick-hp wheel 29 is journaled on axle 30 carried in the secondary frame 2|; such wheel including a plurality of circumferenti'al, transversely spaced rows of beet pick-up spikes 3| projecting outwardly from the relatively wide fiat face of said wheel; said spikes inclining in the direction ofr'otatiori, and the direction of rotation of said wheel, at the bottom, being the Sal Tie as the direction or travel or the implement. The spiked, beet pick-up wheel 25 is driven from the axle by means of an endless chain and sprocket unit, indicated generally at 32.

A sub-Soil blow unit, indicated generally at 33, works below the spiked, beet pick-up wheel, and

comprises a pair of transversely spaced plow blades 34 carried on standards 55 secured to corresponding side beams it by attachment plates 36.

As the implement advances with the tractor, the sub-soil plow unit works below the beets 3'5 in the row being harvested, loosening said beets and urging them upi'vardly, whence they are impaled upon said spiked, beet pick-up wheel 29 in the manner shown in Fig. 1. A pair of adjustably mounted coulters 38 are mounted on the main frame to run on opposite sides or the spiked, beet pick-up wheel slightly ahead of the low point of the latter, whereby to sever excessive foliage from the beet tops and to cut entangling vines, weeds, These coulters are suspended in adjustable relation from a cross bar 35.

As the implement advances, the spiked, beet pick-up wheel 25 floats easily along the beet row, following ground contour or riding over high beet crowns; this floating action being counterbalanced by the following adjustable spring arrangeme A yoke 45 is fixed on the rear cross beam l5 of the main frame l2, and extends at an upward and rearward incline, said yoke including a cross bar 41. An adjustment bolt 52 is threaded through the cross bar ti and bears against an end head 43 facing another end head leon the rear cross beam 2d of the secondary frame. A heavyduty compression spring 45 is engaged between the end heads 43 and 54; the head 53, which is adjustable by the bolt 42, being carried on guide rods 46 which extend between said heads. With the above arrangement, the compression of the spring urges the cross beam 26 of the secondary frame 2! forwardly, and as said cross beam 24 is below the axle 5 from which such secondary frame is pivotally suspended, the spring tends to swing the secondary frame upwardly; i. e. counterbalances thesame so that it floats easily along the beet row. The extent of the counterbalancing action is of course varied by adjustment of the bolt 32.

Beets as impaled on the spiked, beet pick-up wheel 29 with advance of the implement, rise with said wheel to adjacent the top point thereof, whence said beets,- which are then in an inverted position, are severed at the crowns by a poweractuated topping unit, indicated generally at 41. This topping unit 41 includes an upstanding post unit 48 on which a vertical spindle 49 is journaled; such spindle carrying, at its lower end, a circular rotary blade 50 disposed in cooperative or partially lapping relation to an idler blade 5|. The blade 50 driven by the spindle 49, and the idler blade 5|, lie symmetrical over the wheel 29 so that such blades both act on each beet passing the topping unit.

The upstanding spindle 49 is driven by an endless belt and pulley unit, indicated generally at 52, driven from a cross shaft 53 actuated from the chain of the endless chain and sprocket unit 32.

A longitudinal conveyor, indicated generally at 54, is fixedly supported in connection with the main frame l2 and extends lengthwise thereof at an upward and rearward incline from adjacent and alongside the circular rotary blade 55; said' longitudinal conveyor 54 including an endless draper 55. At its forward end, and on the side adjacent the circular rotary blade 55 of the topping unit, the conveyor 54, is formed with an opening 56, and an upstanding deflector 51 is disposed ahead of said blade and merges with the forward edge of said opening. The spindle 55 directly above the circular rotary blade 55 carries a sweep 58 so that beets as topped by the topping unit 41 are swept through the opening 56 onto the lower end of the endless draper 55 of the conveyor 54. The endless draper 55 is driven by an endless belt and pulley unit, indicated generally at 59, and the latter is in turn actuated from the power take-off shaft Ell of the tractor through the medium of a c'ountershaft drive, indicated generally at El.

At its upper end the endless conveyor 54 discharges into a laterally and upwardly inclined elevator conveyor 62 including an endless draper 63. The elevator conveyor 62, into which the topped beets discharge from the conveyor 54, is of 'sufiicie'nt length and reach so that it may discharge into atru'ck (not shown) traveling alongside the tractor. The endless draper 63 of the conveyor 62 is driven from the power take-off shaft Baby an endless belt and pulley unit 64. The endless drapers 55 and 63 of the conveyors 54 and 62, respectively, are foraminous, to the end that dirt, etc. may escape the topped beets and fall onto the ground prior to discharge of said beets from the conveyor 62.

After the impaled beets on the spiked, beet pick-up wheel 29 are topped by the power actuated topping unit 41, with the beets being conveyed away, as above described, the tops continue a short distance on said wheels, whence they are stripped therefrom by a plurality of transversely spaced stripping bars 55 carried on a mount 66 in essence such position that said bars extend, between the rows of spikes 3| generally tangentially of said wheel from a point ahead thereof. The, mount 66 is affixed to the forward end of the secondary frame 2|, and the stripping bars 65 project forwardly from and beyond said wheel, so that the cut beet tops which said bars strip from the wheel, so that the cut beet tops which said bars strip from the wheel discharge onto a lateral conveyor 61 mounted on the main frame 12 at its forward end; the lateral conveyor 61 including an endless draper 68 which receives, conveys, and discharges the cut beet tops in a windrow to one side of the path of the spiked, beet pick-up wheel 29. The endless draper 68 is driven by a universal drive shaft 69 from the countershaft drive El.

The above described beetharvester is so designed that it can be mounted on a conventional Wheel-type farm tractor without any substantial modification of the latter. As so mounted, the best harvester provides a practical and convenient implement for theeffective and expeditious harvesting of beets; i.e. the digging and topping of the same, and the discharge thereof into a truck traveling alongside the tractor.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to, as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are concerned:

1. A beet harvester for a wheel-type tractor, comprising a frame assembly adapted to extend lengthwise along one side of the tractor, said frame assembly including a longitudinal main frame and a longitudinal secondary frame arranged in normally vertically floating relation to the main frame, and a beet digging and elevating mechanism on the frame assembly including a spiked, beet pick up wheel journaled on the secondary frame for ground engagement; the main frame being vertically adjustable.

2. A beet harvester for a wheel-type tractor, comprising a fram assembly adapted to extend lengthwise along one side of the tractor, said frame assembly including a longitudinal main frame and a longitudinal secondary frame arranged in normally vertically floating relation to the main frame, and a beet digging and elevating mechanism on the frame assembly including a spiked, beet pick-up wheel journaled on the secondary frame for ground engagement; the main frame being vertically adjustable, and there being a lost-motion connection between the main frame and secondar frame to allow the latter to normally float yet to permit raising of said secondary frame by the main frame after take-up of the last mentioned connection.

3. A beet harvester for a wheel-type tractor, comprising a frame assembly adapted to extend lengthwise along one side of the tractor, the tractor including a laterally projecting rear axle structure, clamping means to secure the frame assemblyat its rear end to said rear axle struc ture, a suspension link operative to suspend the frame assembly adjacent its forward end from the tractor, and a beet digging and elevating mechanlsm mounted on the frame assembly; the frame assembly including a main longitudinallyextend ing, verticall adjustable frame, and a secondary longitudinally extending frame normally vertically floatable relative to the main frame but responsive to raising thereof, the beet digging andelevating mechanism including a spiked, beet pick-up wheel journaled on the secondary frame.

4. A beet harvester for a wheel-type tractor, comprising a frame assembly adapted to extend lengthwise along one side of the tractor, the tractor including a laterally projecting rear axle structure, means to secure the frame assembly, at its rear end to said rear axle structure, means to suspend the frame assembly adjacent its forward end from the tractor, and a beet digging and elevating mechanism mounted on the frame assembly; the frame assembly including a main longitudinally extending, verticall adjustable frame, and a secondary longitudinally extending frame normally vertically fioatable relative to the main frame but responsive to raising thereof, the beet digging and elevating mechanism including a spiked, beet pick-up wheel journaled on the secondary frame, a best topping unit mountedon the secondary frame in cooperating relation to said wheel, and a beet top stripping unit mounted on the secondary frame in cooperating relation ,to said wheel beyond the topping unit, ther being a lateral conveyor on the main frame in position to receive cut beet tops stripped from the wheel by said stripping unit.

5. A beet harvester for a wheel-type tractor, comprising a frame assembl adapted to extend lengthwise along oneside of. the tractor, said frame assembly including a longitudinal main frame and a longitudinal secondary frame, cross members on the tractor at the rear corresponding to said frames, means pivoting the frames adjacent their rear ends to corresponding cross members for vertical motion, adjustable suspension means between the forward portion of the main frame and the tractor, and beet digging and elevating mechanism mounted on the frame assembly including a spiked, beet pick-up wheel journaled on the secondary frame for ground engagement. t l

6. A beet harvester for a wheel-type tractor, comprising a frame assembly adapted to extend lengthwise along one side of the tractor, said frame assembly including a longitudinal main frame and a longitudinal secondary frame, cross members on the tractor at the rear corresponding to said frames, means pivoting the frames adja cent their rear ends to corresponding cross members for vertical motion, adjustable suspension means between the forward portion of the main frame and the tractor, and beet digging and elevating mechanism mounted on the frame assembly including a spiked, beet pick-up wheel journaled on the secondar frame for ground engagement; there being a lost-motion connection between said frames whereby the secondary frame normally floats in response to passage of the wheel over ground contours, but said second ary frame lifts with the main frame upon takeup of said lost-motion connection.

7. A beet harvester for a wheel-type tractor, comprising a frame assembly adapted to extend lengthwise along one side of the tractor, said frame assembly including a longitudinal main frame and a longitudinal secondary frame, cross members on the tractor at th rear corresponding to said frames, means pivoting the frames adjacent their rear ends to corresponding cross members for vertical motion, adjustable suspension means between the forward portion of the main frame and the tractor, and beet digging and elevating mechanism mounted on the fram assembly including a spiked, beet pick-up wheel journaled on the secondary frame for ground engagement; the secondary frame normally floating but being arranged to raise with the main frame, and spring means counterbalancing the floating motion of said secondary frame.

8. A beet harvester for a wheel-type tractor, comprising a frame assembly adapted to extend lengthwise along one side of the tractor, said frame assembly including a longitudinal main frame and a longitudinal secondary frame, means securing the main frame in connection with the tractor, means pivotally securing the secondary frame in connection with the tractor for normal vertical floating motion, beet digging and elevating mechanism mounted on the frame assembly, said mechanism including a spiked, beet pick-up wheel journaled on the secondary frame for ground engagement, and spring means counterbalancing the floating motion of said secondary frame.

9. A beet harvester for a wheel-type tractor, comprising a frame assembly adapted to extend lengthwise along one side of the tractor, said frame assembly including a longitudinal main frame and a longitudinal secondary frame, means securing the main frame in connection with the tractor, means pivotally securing the secondary frame in connection with the tractor for normal vertical floating motion, beet digging and elevating mechanism mounted ont'he frame assembly, said mechanism including a spiked, beet pick-up wheel journaled on the secondary framefor ground engagement, and spring means counterbalancing the floating motion of said secondary frame; the mounting means for said frames including corresponding cross members on the frame, each frame including an upwardly projecting rear portion pivotally suspended from the corresponding cross member, and said spring means including a compression spring mounted between said frames below said cross members.

10. A beet harvester for a wheel-type tractor, comprising a frame assembly adapted to extend lengthwise along one side of the tractor, said frame assembly including a longitudinal main frame and a longitudinal secondary frame, means .3,

pivotally securing said frames adjacent the rear end to the tractor for vertical motion, adjustable suspension means between the forward portion of the main frame and th tractor, a spiked, beet pick-up wheel journaled on the secondary frame for ground engagement, a sub-soil plow unit mounted on the frame assembly and working below said wheel, a beet topping unit mounted on the secondary frame and cooperating with the wheel: adjacent the top thereof, a conveyor supported from the frame assembly in position to receive topped beets from thetopping unit, a top stripping unit cooperating with the wheel ad'j a cent the topping unit, and a-notherconveyorsupported from the frame assembly in position to receive beet tops stripped from said wheel.

11. A beet harvesterfor awheel-type tractor, comprising a frame assemblyadapted=to-extend lengthwise along one-side of the tractor, said frame assembly including a longitudinal main frameand a longitudinal secondaryframe, means pivotally securing said frames adjacent the rear moved by'the sweep.

end to the tractor for vertical motion, adjustable suspension means between the forward portion of the main frame and the tractor, a spiked, beet pick-up wheel journaled on the secondary frame for ground engagement, a sub-soil plow unit mounted on the frame assembly and working below said Wheel, a beet topping unit mounted on the secondary frame and cooperating with the wheel adjacent the top there'of, a conveyor supported from the frame assembly in position to receive topped beets from the topping unit, a top stripping unit cooperating with the Wheel adjacent the toppingunit, and another conveyor supported from the frame assembly in position to receive beet tops stripped from said wheel; there being a laterally disposed elevator conveyor mounted on and projectingfrom the tractor adjac'ent its rear end, said first named conveyor ex tending lengthwise and delivering to said elevator conveyor.

12. A beet harvester for a wheel-type tractor, comprising a frame assembly adapted to extend lengthwise along one side of the tractor, said frame assembly including a longitudinal main frame and a longitudinal secondary frame-means pivotally securing said frames adjacent the rear end to the tractor for ver tica'lmoti'on, adjustable suspension means between the forward porti'on-of the main frame and the tractor, aspiked, beet pick-up wheel journaled on the; secondary frame for ground engagement, 2. sub-soilplow unit mounted onthe frame assembly and working" below said wheel, a boot topping unitmounted on the secondary frame and cooperating with the wheel adjacent the top thereof, a longitudinal conveyor supported from the'main frame iii-position to receive: topped beets from said topping unit, said conveyor extending rearwardly from the latter,.alateral elevator conveyor on the tractor at the rear to which said longitudinal conveyor delivers, a top stripping unit mounted on the secondary frame and cooperating with the wheel adjacent the topping unit, and a transverse conveyor on themain frame inposition to receive beet tops as strippedfrom the wheel.

13. In a beet harvester which includes'a spiked; beet pick-up wheel, and a beet topping unit 00'- operating with the wheel adjacent the top 'there of; the topping unit including an upstanding, driven spindle-a rotary blade fixed on the spindle and rotatable therewith, a sweep fixed on the spindle adjacent the blade and rotatablewith the'spindle, and a conveyor adjacent said unit-in position to" receive beets cut by the blade and LEWIS W. SCHMIDT.

REFERENCES CITED The following'references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 15,914" Luce Sept 9,1924 1,300,362 Faucker Apr. 15, 1919 1,503,625 Beale Aug. 5-, I924 2,235,470 Betty Mar.- 18,1941 2,336,623" Loucks et a1 Dec. 14, 1943 2,337,698 Walz Dec, 28,1943 2,350,173 Loucks et a1. May 30, -1-944 2,428,904 Zuckerman Oct 14, 1947 

